Recoil
by Kit Chan76
Summary: Inuyasha and the Shikon Jewel are taken on the night of the full moon by a mysterious woman and her magic-binding subordinates.
1. Lost

Lost

He couldn't remember how long he'd been there staring absently into the lake, lost in thoughts that only found his mind once a month. He felt weak, empty, as if his soul was being weakened like fire in a heavy rain. His senses dulled, his mind sharpened, and his introspection cut into him like a blade.

He felt the deepest sensation of loneliness, it washed over him in waves, crashed against his mind any time he glanced back at the small wooden hut where his friends gathered for the night. He wished desperately that the sun would set, he wished that the night would be over. He wished for strength of mind and body and heart.

But why did he feel so weak, he wondered. He shook his head and looked back to the sky. The sun was dipping low in the fiery sky, hidden behind clouds of orange and red and purple. The rays reached out to him, touched him and opened him as they peeked out from between the cover, and he felt weaker. As the sun fell toward the horizon the feelings became more intense.

It was the curse of mortality. The monthly reminder of his impurity when the shield maintained by demonic blood relinquished and weakness took hold.

He shivered.

"Are you all right?"

He turned, caught off guard by the soft voice. But there she was, standing above him with a bowl of rice in one hand and a blanket in the other.

He should have heard her coming. He should have smelled her coming.

"I'm fine," he said, returned his gaze to the lake, and watched absently as the waves flowed along its surface.

"You haven't transformed yet," she said. She took a seat beside him on the wet grass and placed the food before him, still clutching the blanket. "They thought you'd like something to eat."

He stared silently ahead.

"You should come inside, it's going to be cold tonight."

He heaved a long sigh and looked to her. "Maybe later on."

She flashed him a genuine smile, stood back up, and held the blanket out to him. He took it without a word, placed it on his lap, and watched as she began the trek back to the hut. He wanted to tell her to stop, to come back, and to sit with him through the night. Maybe sharing the silence would help dull the emotion.

But she was gone and he couldn't bring himself to speak any more. He felt too weak.

***

Kagome found herself awestruck as he entered the hut, half because he had yielded to the cold and half because of the continued quietness of his footfalls. She didn't look up but instead waited for him to take his customary spot at her feet, back to the wall, watching her sleep, ever her protector.

Instead he crept up behind her and kneeled, pulled her blanket back, and laid down beside her. She was startled by the uncharacteristic show of affection but wasn't altogether surprised by it. Inuyasha had been different that night, distant and unhappy, far from his quick tempered disposition.

"What's the matter?" she said quietly. "Aren't you afraid that the others will see you?"

Of course Kagome knew that the others were sound asleep and the risk was unlikely at best. It was the dead of night, and on any other day the moon would have been high in the sky.

He hushed her quietly and laid his arm over her waist, pulled her close to him to ward against the cold February air. It was a long time before either of them moved, Kagome was content to lay there warm in his arms. It came as a surprise when she felt him stir.

He ran his fingers up her arm, goosebumps sprang up in their wake, and brushed his hand against her neck. He touched the Shikon Jewel necklace and traced its path around her neck. He stopped his claw between her collar bones and pushed himself up to rest on his elbow, towering above her. He leaned down so close that she could feel his breath on her ear.

"Kagome," he whispered softly, "thank you for letting me share your bed."

She couldn't move, she was frozen by fear. If she moved he would flee back into the night and the moment would end. She didn't know what would happen if she didn't move. So she laid there as he flattened his palm against her chest and rolled her to her back. Then they locked eyes, stared for a long moment examining each others' reaction.

Kagome didn't know what he was thinking, but she suddenly felt as if something was wrong. Why had he been so forward with her? He had never touched her that way before, had had never given her shivers.

Then it hit her, she found herself breathless. His hand weighed heavily against her chest, his yellow eyes bored into her, his white hair fell around shoulders.

_It's not him_.

Kagome's scream pierced the otherwise silent night, loud and high and shrill. As suddenly as she had screamed her companions were at her side, hands on their weapons and ready for a fight. But they stopped short when they saw the reason behind the cry, that what should have been a tender moment had somehow gone terribly wrong.

"Inuyasha, you're going about it all wrong," said Miroku with a smile as he lowered his monk's staff. "You should have--"

"It's not him!" Kagome shrieked as she laid on her back, prone and pinned under the demon's hand. "It's not him!"

Then, one by one, they made the same observations that Kagome had. He should have been mortal but his hair remained its natural silver hue, his eyes glowed yellow, and his sharp and dangerous claws rested on Kagome's unguarded chest.

His eyes grew wide as the weapons began flying at him. He grasped the jewel, ripped it away from Kagome's neck, jumped to his feet, and fled from the hut and his assailants, his mission ultimately accomplished.

"Shippo, Kaede, stay here with Kagome," Miroku ordered as he pulled Sango by the arm. "Sango and I will get him back."

Shippo nodded and curled up against Kagome and the two watched their companions run into the night.

***

Inuyasha woke, bound by his hands on the floor in a cold and windowless room constructed of dark gray stone. The first sensation he felt was fear, deeper and more intense than he had ever felt it before, and then he felt pain. His wrists were cocked and tied too tightly behind his back, he felt blood against his neck, running down his back, his hair was matted against his face.

He had been at the lake, he thought. Curling up underneath Kagome's blanket to sleep beside his small fire. He remembered hearing rustling but couldn't recall what had been there. His head stung and the pain coursed through him. He felt nauseous as he remembered a white hot explosion at the base of his skull.

He had been knocked unconscious, bound and then dragged through the woods, but where was he now?

No matter, he thought. It was still the middle of the night and he was physically powerless. He would have to make due with his brain and couldn't have his senses dulled by panic and fear. He fought hard to make his way to his knees, all the while trying to suppress the human emotions that flooded his head. His feet weren't bound, if he could just stand up maybe he could find some way out.

Inuyasha crawled toward the door, scraping his knees against the sharp stone corners of the floor, and once there, made his way to his feet. The nausea was waiting for him as he stood and it rolled over him in one big wave, dizzying him. He slumped against the wooden door as the room began to spin. He gasped for air.

He fell back to the floor in a heap and laid there for a long while panting and heaving as the nausea ran its course.

He didn't know how long he laid there, sick and exhausted, when the door suddenly creaked open. Two tiny humanoids entered and were followed by a larger figure. Inuyasha couldn't find the strength to roll over and face them.

"This is the one?" said the larger humanoid, a female with a dark and smooth voice. She stepped in front of her prisoner and kneeled, took his face in her palm, and turned it toward her.

She was a beautiful woman, by all standards, with long auburn hair and deep brown eyes. She wore a silk kimono of floral print that dipped low around her bust. Inuyasha found himself transfixed for a moment on her face, angular yet soft, before he pulled away from her.

"Still a bit of life in you yet, hanyo?" she said. She tightened her grip on his chin and turned his face back to hers. "How fortunate for me that my magic eaters found you on this night."

His eyes grew wide. She didn't know? He suddenly felt quite stupid, naive. He should have known better than to spend the night outside. He should have known that some day someone would come for him regardless of whether they knew of his state.

She let go of his face suddenly and his head cracked against the floor. He winced and groaned as another jolt of pain racked his body. He scarcely heard her give the next order.

"Bind him."

He felt tiny hands against his arms removing the shackles and cold leather cuffs tightening around his wrists. Then his beads were removed and in their place was clasped a tight metal shackle on a short and thick chain. One of the imps stepped in front of him and bent to eye level, examining its work.

If Inuyasha could have growled, he would have. Instead he stared coldly at the figure, a tiny human-like demon no more than half his height with spindly limbs and a bony body. Its head seemed too big for its frame with huge glossy green eyes and tiny bump horns. Its ears were long and pointed and drooped at their tips, the lobes were tattered and ripped. This was a fighter, a soldier. But what the hell was it?

"Take him to a proper holding cell," the woman commanded, obviously satisfied with her lackeys' work, and strode confidently from the room. "If he gives you trouble, dose him again."

So he _had_ been poisoned, Inuyasha thought.

Another groan escaped him as the impish figures pulled him into the hall, dragging his weakened body across the floor by the metal chain. He felt himself being picked up and replaced on a board, a cart, and the imps wheeled him down the way.

***

"What is it?" Kagome asked as Miroku and Sango took their seats around the hut's fire pit. Miroku held an impish figure by its thin legs, dangling it upside down above the blaze. He shook it back and forth gently, sometimes lowering it toward the flames but never letting it touch.

"It's a magic binder," Kaede said from the corner. She made her way to the circle and sat down, stared hard at the imp. "Though I've never seen one before."

Kagome leaned forward and held her blanket close. "What is a magic binder?"

Miroku cleared his throat and turned his eyes to Kagome. "An imp, a mischief maker. They aren't altogether evil but they tend to cause trouble wherever they go. It's unlike them to be so bold as this one was, though," he said. "They tend to shy away from humans."

The group sat for a long while, staring at the dangling, struggling imp. He was red-skinned and had a squeaky voice, begged for release.

Sango moved closer to Kagome and spoke quietly. "From what Miroku has told me they take the shapes of strong people in order to cause their mayhem."

"So everything he said was a lie?" Kagome replied. It had felt so real, it had felt so good to finally feel that touch.

"Not necessarily," Miroku said. "When they assume a shape they also assume memories, emotions, and heart. It's likely that this particular imp had stolen the identity of some young lover somewhere along the line and knew how he or she acted toward their betrothed. Could be that he sensed the same in Inuyasha and figured that he expressed his feelings in the same way as humans."

Sango spoke then, her voice quiet. "Do you think that this particular imp meant us harm?"

Miroku shrugged his reply and shook the imp again. "We should go check the lake, I have a sneaking suspicion that this little guy wasn't working alone."

With that Sango, Miroku, Shippo, and Kagome left the hut, Miroku still holding the imp, and began the trek to the lake. They knew that something was amiss long before they saw Inuyasha's campsite. The fire was out, the grass was pressed and the ground was ripped. There had been a struggle.

Sango approached the fire first and kneeled down, touched a hand to the ground. "There's blood here, lots of it," she said. She looked to the side and sighed heavily at the sight of a katana on the ground. "And Tetsusaiga is here."

Kagome rushed to her side, concerned and afraid. "Is he okay?"

Sango shook her head and rubbed her fingers together. She got to her feet and moved away from the fire, following the trail of pressed grass and blood toward the tree line. The others followed behind. "I don't know, Kagome," she said at length as she examined the tree line. "Providing that the blood was his he lost a substantial amount. If he's alive he's certainly not in good shape."

"Where is he!"

The two women wheeled around to find Miroku sitting on the ground violently shaking the scared imp. The monk was distressed (and so, too was the imp), and clearly the stress was beginning to manifest. They all knew that Inuyasha was weak that night, weaker than they all wanted to believe, and he was in desperate trouble. They didn't know what the magic binding imps were capable of, whether alone or working in cooperation with a stronger being.

"The castle!" squealed the imp, its voice high pitched and fast. "He was taken to the castle! I was assigned to retrieve the shard and deliver it safely!"

Miroku sighed, realizing that this particular imp held no loyalties. "Where did you put the jewel?"

"Hidden, it is!" the imp replied, crossing its tiny arms over its chest. "You will not find it. Likely it is that my brothers have found it already, taken it to the lady!"

"You will take us there, to the castle," Miroku demanded.

The imp shrugged noncommittally. "Perhaps."

The monk reached into his robe with his free hand and produced a sutra. He waved the paper in front of the imp's face threateningly. "You will take us to the castle," he repeated more forcefully this time. "Or you will be bound and in pain."

The imp's tough facade melted away. "Yes, yes! I will take you there!" he cried. "Please do not hurt me I was just following orders!"

Miroku replaced the sutra in his robe and produced another, stuck it to the imp's back, and set it down on the ground. "That sutra binds you to me, demon," he explained. "You may not venture more than ten yards away from me or you will suffer a painful death."

"We should leave right away," Shippo said quietly from his perch on Kagome's shoulder. "If we don't find him soon it might be too late."

The others nodded their agreement and the imp sighed deeply. His loyalty had been tested, he had failed, but he figured that death by his master was preferable to death by an angry monk. Besides, he thought, perhaps he could escape yet.


	2. Found

Found

The woman stoked his hair and pushed it away from his face. She touched a tender hand to his chest and leaned close to him, smiling disarmingly the whole while.

"Why do you resist me, hanyo?" she said quietly.

Inuyasha turned his face away from her. He was weak and had been shackled to the cell walls by his arms and legs and neck. The iron was cold and heavy and tempered his struggle. He couldn't get far enough away from her.

She drew closer to him and touched his cheek. He pulled away reflexively, jerked his body to the ends of his chains. He coughed and sputtered and fell to the ground as the metal around his neck dug into his skin, crushed his throat.

"You cannot keep fighting me," she said as she sat back on her heels. She regarded him for a long while, intrigued by his spirit and amazed that he continued to resist "You will be mine, one way or another."

He glared at her from the floor. He would not dignify her with a response.

"This could be a pleasurable experience for you," she said. She crept close to him and reached out to touch him once more. Her fingertips glowed a fierce red. He tried to pull away as she laid her hand on his shoulder. "Or it could be painful."

Pain seared through his body so hot and intense that he swooned. He cried out and pulled futilely against the chains. The shackles dug deep, he couldn't breathe. The woman did not relent, she pressed harder and slid her hand down to his chest, pushed hard against his sternum.

"Submit!" she demanded.

He suddenly felt hot pressure building in his body, his head felt light. His body numbed and the pain was gone. He couldn't remember what was happening, he stared with sudden and uncontrollable rage at the woman before him, she was hurting him. He had to kill her or he would be killed himself.

He exploded into motion, growled and lunged toward her. He could not hear his primal scream or her surprised cry, his vision blurred and whitened, his senses dulled with pain and hate. He reached out to throttle her, to kill her, he pushed against the floor to gain momentum.

He almost had her.

She jumped back from him just as the slack went out of his neck chain. He cried out, fell to the floor, and coughed. He reeled as his blood pressure plummeted. Then he laid there unmoving for a long while.

The woman sighed at length and moved to her prized captive's side, rolled him onto his back and against the wall. He was unconscious, his breathing was shallow and strained. She tenderly adjusted the chains around his arms and neck, then stood and walked from the room.

As she entered her quarters, a decorative and well furnished room at the opposite end of the huge compound, an imp approached. He carried a plush towel and bowl of water and was dressed in fine silk clothes.

"Mistress Tsuo, has he relented?"

"No," she said and sat on the bed. "I cannot force him to submit as I did the others. He must accept my control willingly."

The imp placed his items down beside Tsuo. "Why not?" he asked. "You merely had to touch the others with your hands for them to obey."

"They were men. Mere mortals. He is a demon, if only half. He is much stronger even in his weakened human state. As much as I want to add him to my slave ranks I cannot force it."

"Shall I have him fed?" asked the imp. "And his wounds tended?"

Tsuo shook her head and took the towel. "So long as he continues to weaken physically he will continue to weaken mentally. It will facilitate his submission."

"But, mistress. It's been several days."

Tsuo shook her head and shifted her gaze to the obviously distressed imp. "There is a problem with my desires?"

The imp shook its head. "You've gotten the Shikon Jewel. Perhaps you should temper your greed. Certainly the hanyo has strong allies to have gathered so much of that jewel. They will be searching for him."

"They cannot find us," Tsuo said. "We are hidden well behind magical barriers and cloaks. Even if they manage to stumble through only those of demonic blood can see the entrance to this castle."

The imp regarded his mistress for another moment. "What can I do to ease his servility?"

She laid back on the bed and put the towel to her forehead. "He has a weakness other than his physical state," she said. "Find it. Exploit it."

The imp nodded, bowed deeply, and took his leave from the room. Tsuo stared at the ceiling and recalled her interactions with her slave. She didn't like that he would not submit to her in the same way that the other men had. He would not give in so easily to her feminine wiles. Perhaps there was another, she thought. Another woman that had him in her servitude.

***

Kagome sat quietly at the campfire and waited. It had been three days since Inuyasha had been taken and the imp they had found was leading them in what seemed like circles. She was worried and frantic, she feared at every turn and bend that they would find Inuyasha dead.

Miroku made his way into the small clearing, followed by the dejected and smoldering imp. The two had gone away from the camp to discuss their whereabouts and the imp's lackluster efforts to assist. The conversation had apparently gone in Miroku's favor as he wore a smug grin and strode confidently toward the fire.

"Well?" Sango asked as she poked at the fire. Miroku sat across from her and the imp stayed away. "What did you find?"

"He has been leading us astray since the outset," said Miroku. It was the confirmation that they all needed. "He said that his mistress needed time to "make the hanyo submit." If we stay on the path for half a day and head west when it forks we should arrive at the compound by tomorrow at dusk."

Sango, Kagome, and Shippo exchanged concerned glances. Shippo jumped up into Kagome's lap and leaned forward curiously. "What do you mean by making the hanyo submit?"

Miroku shrugged. "Inuyasha is a pretty good catch for someone trying to gather powerful servants. If they can convince him to yield to them before he kills them, that is."

Kagome put her hands around the fox demon on her lap and sighed deeply. "Tomorrow at dusk," she whispered. "Let's hope we make it in time."

The companions continued their speculative conversation, ate their dinner, and made their beds. They could not know that Tsuo's personal attendant had been watching closely and waiting patiently. As soon as the last of them was asleep he crept out from his cover and moved toward the camp.

He had discerned the identity of the captive's woman, or so he thought. Now if he could free his trapped companion and transport them to the castle, all would be well. He shushed the other imp as he approached, ripped the binding sutra from his back, and pulled him to the safety of the bushes.

"You saved me!" cried the imp. "Thank you, thank you so much! The lady will be pleased to have me back!"

"Hush," said the other. "The lady will be angry that you were captured and disclosed the location of her castle to these people. You should have been more careful, Uki."

Uki cowered at the scolding. He knew that the lady would be upset with him but figured he could always hope for the backing of his kin.

"Is that woman the hanyo's mate?" asked the superior imp, pointing toward Kagome.

Uki nodded frantically. "Yes, sir. Yes she is. Her name is Kagome and she is from another country. She is very concerned for the well being of her man."

"Can you show the lady? Can you help the mistress become her?"

A smile exploded onto Uki's face as he continued to bob his head. "Yes, sir. Yes, I can!"

"Good," said the superior. "You will be used to help ease the submission of the hanyo."

The two imps babbled excitedly for several more moments and disappeared into the brush.

***

Tsuo kneeled in front of Inuyasha and stroked his face. He had been unresponsive to her touch all afternoon. He simply stared at the floor before him, glossy eyed and distant. He leaned forward against his shackles, his body strained against his own weight. He was lost somewhere in the recesses of his mind and she could not seem to pull him out.

"Hanyo," she cooed. "Come back to me, hanyo."

His eyes shifted. He was looking at her now. She smiled and stroked his cheek. His pupils dilated and his focus shifted. He was looking through her, he wasn't seeing her.

"Who are you looking at, hanyo?" she said. "Who do you see?'

Inuyasha strained, opened his mouth but could not force the words out. His throat hurt terribly, he could scarcely groan. He breathed deeply and said in a whisper, "Kagome."

"Do you love her?"

Inuyasha suddenly snapped into focus, he stared with piercing intensity into Tsuo's eyes. His glare was cold and full of rage. He leaned forward slowly, closing the gap between the two in such a way that his face was inches from hers.

"If you touch her, I will kill you," he whispered. And perhaps it was the bold-faced threat that unnerved her, or perhaps the fact that he had managed to speak it despite the severe wounds to his throat, but Tsuo's blood ran cold for a moment. He had given her confirmation that the woman her imps had spied on was truly his weakness.

Tsuo shushed him and put a finger to his lips. She put her hands on his shoulders and waited for his reaction. She had expected a sudden attack, but his malnourished muscles slacked under the touch. Perhaps he was weaker than she thought.

She pulled him in and embraced him. She closed her eyes, confident in her spell, and concentrated for several long moments. Once satisfied that her shifting had completed she spoke softly."Inuyasha," she said, "please don't fight any more."

He pulled away, startled and confused, and found himself staring into Kagome's face. He opened his mouth to speak but she held a finger to his lips. His brow furrowed in thought as he stared. He blinked several times but each time he reopened his eyes he still saw her, clear as the day. He felt uncertain, had had spent so much time asleep or unconscious since his capture, perhaps he had fainted again.

"I want you to stop fighting," said the doppleganger. "I don't want you to hurt any more. Lady Tsuo will take good care of you if you just let her in."

He closed his eyes and slumped against the wall. He was so uncertain, she sounded like Kagome, looked like Kagome, spoke like Kagome. But why would Kagome advocate his surrender? It was true that she had never enjoyed seeing him hurt and worried desperately when he suffered. Maybe she was truly watching out for his best interest.

Inuyasha looked at her again, wanted desperately to say something. He tried once more to speak but could not produce the sounds. It was too painful, so he groaned and leaned forward, falling into the doppleganger's chest.

Tsuo felt pure elation as she wrapped her shape-shifted arms around his body. He would surrender to her in time. All she had to do was to deplete his trust in Kagome and build it in her. He had to have confidence on Tsuo in order to fully serve.

"Submit, hanyo," she said.

As soon as the words had left her lips she regretted it. She felt his muscles tense under her grip. That word, _hanyo_, had triggered his rage. He pulled away from her with surprising speed and attacked. His fist connected with her face with a sickening crack and she fell back. He grabbed at her legs as she kicked and flailed to get away. Her transformation failed then, her concentration broken and her thoughts focused instead on escaping from the enraged man.

He punched her again, left hook, right hook, each connecting squarely with her face and chest. Tsuo kicked back, then, her foot smashed into his chest where her hands had burned him, she felt his chest cave under the blow, and he fell back immediately. If her wounds hurt at that moment, his ached tenfold.

"How dare you lay your hands on me!" Tsuo screamed. She stood from her prone position and kicked him again. "How dare you attack me!"

Her hands glowed that deadly red color again, and Inuyasha cowered. He held his arms up defensively over his head and pulled his knees to his wounded chest. She hit him with a barrage of fiery punches. He felt his body burning under the savage attack. His mouth was open in a cry of agony but no sound came forth.

She kicked him twice more and then relented for a moment. And when he finally dared to lower his arms to peek out from his defensive posture, she throttled him hard in the head and he fell.

The room was suddenly very quiet.

* * *

The hall flashed with a bright white light. Men and demons and imps fled in every direction, many more laid wounded or disoriented against the walls. More still stood as statues, entranced, among the massacre seemingly oblivious to the events unfolding around them.

Kagome led the devastating charge through the maze like compound. Shippo sat on her shoulder, guiding her along the winding hallways. He had been the group's eyes, as the only demon he alone could find the castle's entrance and, presumably, was the only one who could effectively navigate the place. He did not know where he was leading them and the only guidance that he had was his delicate nose.

"Left!" he cried suddenly. Kagome nearly fell as she tuned, so fast was she running. She fired another arrow as warning down the long, straight tunnel.

"How deep is this place?" asked Miroku as he ran up behind her. He whirled on his heel to fell a rogue demon pursuer.

Kagome shook her head and ran on, her companions close behind. "I don't know," she said, "but the sacred jewel is in the other direction. We'll have to hope that we can find it once we have Inuyasha back."

The jewel was, of course, with Tsuo in her quarters. She was frantically gathering the few possessions she would need before she fled. Her imp vassal skittered about her feet.

He had warned her. He had told her of Uki's return and the intruders' aggressive search for their lost companion. But she had been overconfident in the effectiveness of her wards. The barriers had been easily neutralized by the fox demon and the few guards had been dispatched by the monk, the archer, and the demon slayer and her evil cat.

"I will meet you in the east valley in two days," Tsuo said as she slung her pack over her shoulder. "Do not delay, Miko. This castle will be set ablaze within ten minutes."

"Yes, mistress!" the imp replied.

Tsuo departed through the room's window while Miko returned to the castle proper to gather the remainder of his kin. He knew that the imps would not rendezvous with the sorceress. She had only brought them trouble. They would return to their home in the west and live safely.

* * *

"Right!" Shippo commanded. "Down this hall, he's close!"

Kagome wheeled around the corner and then stopped very suddenly. The whole place was empty of guards, but there was no mistaking it, this was the prisoner's wing.

The hallway was short when compared to the others, lined on each side with three wooden doors latched with iron bars and heavy locks. There were no windows.

"It's too quiet here," said Sango from around the corner. "Open the doors and let's be done with it."

Kagome walked slowly down the way and stopped at each door to allow Shippo to sniff. When she came to the third door on the right, the fox demon jumped.

"In there!" he screamed.

Kagome raised an arrow and hoped that Shippo was right. "Inuyasha," she called. "If you're in there and you can hear me, get away from the door!"

She waited a long moment for some response but none was forthcoming. She closed her eyes, focused her energy on the sacred arrow knocked in her bow, and let fly. The door exploded into shards as the arrow pierced the metal crossbar. Sparks flew in a brilliant display and fell harmlessly to the ground.

"We're in," Kagome said. Her companions rushed up behind her and the group entered the cell.

It was a relatively spacious room of dark stone, lightless and cold and quiet. But he was there laying in a crumpled and unmoving heap against the far wall, back facing the door.

Kagome threw her bow aside and rushed to his side. She shook him and called his name in a panic. She did not relent until Miroku and Sango kneeled at her side.

"Shippo," said the monk, quickly assessing the situation, "we'll need a key to unlock these shackles. Take Kirara and see if you can find anything nearby."

Shippo jumped obediently from Kagome's shoulder and disappeared with Kirara into the hallway. Miroku rolled Inuyasha onto his back and Sango moved to his head. She leaned down, her ear above his mouth, and laid her hand tenderly against his chest, sliding it under his tattered white gi.

"He's still breathing," she said at length and with some surprise. "But his heartbeat is slow and his breath is weak."

Then the realization hit, suddenly and forcefully. The three companions exchanged looks of confusion and worry.

"Why is he mortal," Kagome asked quietly. "He should have changed back days ago."

Shippo reentered the cell then, riding on Kirara's back, panting and holding a small ring of keys. "Worry about that later," he said with urgency. "We have to get out of here!"

Miroku took the keys and began unlocking the shackles delicately.

"The place is on fire!" Shippo cried.

"Kirara," Sango ordered. The demon cat roared and jumped to Sango's side. The companions carefully loaded Inuyasha onto her back and then mounted themselves. "Get us out of here, Kirara!"

The cat bounded out of the cell and into the smoky hallways. She ran on through the winding maze and jumped with abandon through the first window she saw.


End file.
